Soaked or Steeped?

In the well-known devotional “My Utmost For His Highest” Oswald Chambers calls it being “put into soak.” I’ve often thought about it more like steeping a tea bag.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, soaking means being “immersed until thoroughly saturated,” and steeping is “to infuse or subject thoroughly to.”

Whichever one you want to call it–soaking or steeping–it’s a good thing when it comes to Christians absorbing the Word of God. And there was an abundance of it going on at our latest LIFT event.

From the words of the worship music, to the scripture-laced teaching by Robyn Bloomquist, to the table discussions of specific verses, God’s Word was opened and searched and absorbed.

As we looked at principles for conflict resolution we referred to the Bible as our “instruction manual” for life. That’s the way Paul talked about it in 2 Timothy 3:16.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.”

This truth–that the Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God–is one of the founding principles of LIFT. We want to make sure everything taught at LIFT is true to God’s Word. When we base our lives, our ministries, and our interactions on the truths of scripture we are bound together in faith, in purpose, and in love.

And that is a beautiful thing. God is honored. Christians are LIFTed up and encouraged. Ministries grow.

Our LIFT schedule of events for 2015 has come to an end. This has been a year of growth, blessing, and stretching. We’ve seen God’s hand on LIFT in amazing ways. As a team, we are honored to serve with you for God’s glory and the building up of the Kingdom.

Our next LIFT event will be on February 19, 2016. You can be sure the LIFT team and Board of Directors will be searching the scriptures, LIFTing you up in prayer, and preparing for another awesome year of “Encouraging and Equipping Leaders in Women’s Ministry.”

In the meantime, as you go through the busy holiday season ahead, I hope you make time for some quiet moments. Maybe you’ll look at a tea bag steeping in a cup of hot water and consider the way God’s Word infuses and changes us.

Soaking our minds in truth, allowing Bible principles to become part of us, we are transformed and renewed–for God’s glory.